Exercise apparatus

ABSTRACT

An exercise apparatus includes a base having a bracket member and a wheel pedal unit mounted at the base at a location far apart from the bracket member. A moving arm member is retractably coupled to the bracket member and movable relative to the bracket member in an angle of inclination between a first position and a second position. A seat unit is mounted at the moving arm member. Moving the moving arm member between a first location and a second location can change the elevation difference between the seat unit and the wheel pedal unit in both the vertical and horizontal directions, thus enabling the user to selectively perform different exercise modes in either a normal sitting posture or a recumbent sitting posture.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/618,915, filed Apr. 2, 2012, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, inclusive of the specification, claims, and drawings.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus and more particularly, to a support frame for an exercise apparatus, which allows for changes in seating position to perform different exercise modes.

BACKGROUND

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,215 discloses a multi-mode exercise machine 1, which includes an exercise base station 11, a pedal unit 12 mounted to the exercise base station 11, a cycle seat 13 supported on the pedal unit 12, an arm 14 pivotally mounted to the exercise base station 11 at one side relative to the pedal unit 12. Handlebars 15 are mounted to one end of the arm 14, and a second seat 16 is slidably coupled to the arm 14. A receivable pull rope unit 17 is pivotally mounted to the pedal unit 12, and a footrest unit 18 is pivotally mounted to the other end of the arm 14. The pull rope unit 17 includes a pull rope 171 passing around a guide roller inside the pedal unit 12, and a pull bar 172 connected to one end of the pull rope 171 and disposed outside the pedal unit 12.

When the arm 14 is set in a vertical position, a user can sit on the cycle seat 13 and hold the handlebars 15 with their hands, and then operate the pedal unit 12 with their feet for performing a first exercise mode. Alternatively, when the arm 14 is set in a horizontal position, the user can sit on the second seat 16 in a recumbent posture to hold the pull bar 172 with their two hands and then place their feet in the foot rest unit 18. By means of pulling up or letting off the pull rope 171, the second seat 16 is moved along the arm 14 for performing a second exercise mode.

The aforesaid prior art multi-mode exercise machine 1 can provide both upright and recumbent exercise modes. However, it must provide two seats (the cycle seat 13 and the second seat 16), two handles (the handlebars 15 and the pull bar 172) and two foot portions (the pedal unit 12 and the foot rest unit 18). Including two versions of each of these components disadvantageously complicates the structure and operation of this prior art exercise machine 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide an exercise apparatus, which has a simple structure that facilitates operation, and which allows a user to easily change exercise modes.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, an exercise apparatus is disclosed comprising a base, a wheel pedal unit, a moving arm member, and a seat unit. The base provides a bracket member. The wheel pedal unit is installed on the base and spaced apart from the bracket member at a sufficient distance to allow for pedaling by the legs of a user. The moving arm member is retractably mounted in the bracket member, and comprises a movable part that can be moved in and out of the bracket member at a predetermined angle of inclination between a first position where the movable part is extended far away from the bracket member and a second position where the movable part is located closer to the bracket member. A user can sit on the seat unit, which is mounted at the movable part of the moving arm member. The seat unit is movable along with the movable part between the first position and the second position to change the elevation difference, i.e. the distance, between the seat unit and the wheel pedal unit in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

In view of the above, there are numerous benefits of moving the moving arm member in and out of the bracket member to change the elevation difference between the seat unit and the wheel pedal unit. For example the relative position between the wheel pedal unit and the saddle unit is relatively changed, thus allowing the user to selectively perform different exercise modes in a normal upright, or elevated, sitting posture or in a recumbent sitting posture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional multi-mode exercise machine.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the conventional exercise machine of FIG. 1, illustrating the arm changed from the vertical position to the horizontal position.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an exercise apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the elevation difference between the wheel pedal unit and the saddle unit is increased in the vertical direction and reduced in the horizontal direction.

FIG. 5 is a schematic elevational view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a user sitting on the seat unit in a normal sitting posture.

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the elevation difference between the wheel pedal unit and the saddle unit is minimized in the vertical direction and maximized in the horizontal direction.

FIG. 7 is a schematic elevational view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the user sitting on the seat unit in a recumbent sitting posture.

FIG. 8 is a schematic elevational view of a second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the seat unit in a normal sitting position.

FIG. 9 is a schematic elevational view of the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the seat unit in a recumbent sitting position.

It should be noted that the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, but instead are drawn to provide a better understanding of the components thereof, and are not intended to be limiting in scope, but rather to provide exemplary illustrations. It should further be noted that the figures illustrate exemplary embodiments of an exercise apparatus and the components thereof, and in no way limit the structures or configurations of an exercise apparatus and components thereof according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Other and further advantages and features of the present invention will be understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

While the disclosure may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments are shown in the drawings and are described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, combinations, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

It will be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this disclosure to possess a described meaning, there is no intent to limit the meaning of such term, either expressly or indirectly, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an exercise apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, comprising a base 2, a wheel pedal unit 3, a moving arm member 4, a locking member 5, a seat unit 6, and a handle assembly 7.

The base 2 comprises a rail holder 21, an upright support 22 coupled to and movable along the rail holder 21, and a bracket member 23 vertically mounted at the rail holder 21 and inclined in direction toward the upright support 22 at a predetermined angle of inclination θ. The rail holder 21 comprises a first stop block 24 and a second stop block 25 respectively located at two opposite ends thereof. The first stop block 24 is located at one end of the rail holder 21 adjacent to the bracket member 23. The second stop block 25 is located at the other end of the rail holder 21 farther away from the bracket member 23.

The wheel pedal unit 3 is mounted at the upright support 22 for pedaling by the user's legs. The moving arm member 4 is retractably mounted in the bracket member 23 at the aforesaid angle of inclination θ. The moving arm member 4 further comprises a movable part 41 movable relative to the bracket member 23 between a first position located far apart from the bracket member 23 (see FIGS. 3 through 5) and a second position located closer to the bracket member 23 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

The locking member 5 in this embodiment may be a holding down screw threaded through the bracket member 23 and stopped against the moving arm member 4 to lock the moving arm member 4 to the bracket member 23. The seat unit 6 comprises a seat cushion 61 for sitting by the user, and a back cushion 62 for supporting the back of the user sitting on the seat cushion 61.

With movement of the movable part 41 to the first position, the seat unit 6 reaches a first pedaling position (see FIGS. 3 through 5) where the elevation difference between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 is minimized in the horizontal direction and maximized in the vertical direction. On the contrary, with movement of the movable part 41 to the second position, the seat unit 6 reaches a second pedaling position (see FIGS. 6 and 7) where the elevation difference between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 is maximized in the horizontal direction and minimized in the vertical direction.

The handle assembly 7 comprises a sleeve 71 pivotally coupled to the wheel pedal unit 3, a movable bar 72 movable in and out of the sleeve 71, and a handlebar 73 fastened to one end of the movable bar 72 outside the sleeve 71. The handlebar 73 has two distal ends respectively terminating in a respective grip 731. The gap between the two grips 731 is larger than the width of the seat cushion 61.

During application, the movable bar 72 can be moved in and out of the sleeve 71 to adjust the length of the handle assembly 7. The sleeve 71 can be biased relative to the wheel pedal unit 3 to adjust the handle assembly 7 between a falling down position (see FIGS. 6 and 7) located adjacent to the seat unit 6, and an upright position located farther apart from the seat unit 6 (see FIGS. 3 through 5).

Referring to FIGS. 3 through 5, the horizontal distance between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 is minimized when the moving arm member 4 is extended along the bracket member 23 relative to the wheel pedal unit 3 in the aforesaid angle of inclination θ. Doing this correspondingly lets the seat unit 6 be moved by the movable part 41 far away from the bracket member 23 to the first position. In this first position, the upright support 22 is also moved along the rail holder 21 toward the bracket member 23 to the first stop block 24, and the seat unit 6 is held in the first pedaling position. Because the movable part 41 synchronously moves the seat unit 6, the elevation difference h between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 in the vertical direction is maximized, and the elevation difference d between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 in the horizontal direction is minimized. Thus, when the handle assembly 7 is adjusted to the upright position, the user can sit on the seat unit 6 in a normal sitting posture and hold the grips 731 with their two hands located in front of the seat unit 6, and then use their legs to pedal the wheel pedal units 3 located under the seat unit 6.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the moving arm member 4 is moved toward the bracket member 23 subject to the aforesaid angle of inclination θ so that it is received into the inside of the bracket member 23. This correspondingly lets the seat unit 6 be moved by the movable part 41 to the second position so that it is located closer to the bracket member 23. The upright support 22 is also moved along the rail holder 21 in a direction away from the bracket member 23 toward the second stop block 25 where the seat unit 6 reaches the second pedaling position. At this second position, the elevation difference h between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 in the vertical direction is minimized, and the elevation difference d between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 in the horizontal direction is maximized. Thus, the handle assembly 7 can be adjusted to the falling down position at this time such that the user can sit on the seat unit 6 in a recumbent sitting posture and hold the grips 731 with their two hands below the seat unit 6, and then use their legs to pedal the wheel pedal units 3 located in front of the seat unit 6. This is advantageously possible due to the effect that the gap between the two grips 731 is larger than the width of the seat cushion 61, and the handlebar 73 does not protrude over the seat unit 3 in the vertical direction.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, an exercise apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. This second embodiment is substantially similar to the aforesaid first embodiment, and also comprises a base 2, a wheel pedal unit 3, a moving arm member 4, a locking member 5, a seat unit 6, and a handle assembly 7. The main feature of this second embodiment is that the upright support 22 of the base 2 is fixedly mounted at the rail holder 21.

Thus, the seat unit 6 can be moved with the movable part 41 to the first position to minimize the elevation difference d between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 in the horizontal direction and to maximize the elevation difference h between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the seat unit 6 can be moved with the movable part 41 to the second position to maximize the elevation difference d between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 in the horizontal direction and to minimize the elevation difference h between the seat unit 6 and the wheel pedal unit 3 in the vertical direction. The first position enables the user to sit on the seat unit 6 in a normal sitting posture and to hold the grips 731 in front of the seat unit 6, and then to pedal the wheel pedal unit 3 with their two legs under the seat unit 6. Conversely, the second position allows the user to sit on the seat unit 6 in a recumbent sitting posture and to hold the grips 731 below the seat unit 6, and then to pedal the wheel pedal unit 3 with their two legs in front of the seat unit 6.

It is therefore apparent that the exercise apparatus of the present invention described herein has many benefits. By means of moving the moving arm member 5 to change both the elevation difference d in the vertical direction and the elevation difference h in the horizontal direction, the relative position between the wheel pedal unit 3 and the seat unit 6 can be relatively changed. This allows the user to perform different exercise modes in either a normal sitting posture or a recumbent sitting posture. Thus, the simplified structure of the exercise apparatus of the present invention has enhanced practicality since it facilitates operation by advantageously incorporating only one single wheel pedal unit 3 and one single seat unit 6 for performing different exercise modes.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise apparatus, comprising: a base including a bracket member; a wheel pedal unit installed on said base and configured to be spaced apart from said bracket member at a distance for pedaling by the legs of a user; a moving arm member retractably mounted in said bracket member, said moving arm member comprising a movable part movable in and out of said bracket member in a predetermined angle of inclination between a first position located far apart from said bracket member and a second position located close to said bracket member; and a seat unit mounted at said movable part of said moving arm member for sitting by the user, said seat unit being movable with said movable part between said first and second positions to change the elevation difference between said seat unit and said wheel pedal unit in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.
 2. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base further comprises a rail holder coupled with said bracket member, and an upright support located at said rail holder and kept apart from said bracket member at a distance.
 3. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a locking member mounted in said bracket member and adapted to lock said moving arm member to said bracket member.
 4. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upright support is movable along said rail holder and said wheel pedal unit is mounted at said upright support.
 5. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said upright support is slidingly mounted to the rail holder.
 6. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rail holder further comprises a first stop block and a second stop block respectively located at two opposite ends thereof, such that the first stop block is located adjacent to the bracket member and the second stop block is located farther away from the bracket member.
 7. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a handle assembly pivotally connected to one of said wheel pedal unit and said upright support, and movable between a falling down position located adjacent to said seat unit and an upright position located far apart from said seat unit.
 8. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said handle assembly comprises a sleeve pivotally connected to said wheel pedal unit, and a handlebar coupled to said sleeve for holding by the hands of the user.
 9. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said handle assembly further comprises a movable bar having one end thereof coupled to said sleeve and an opposite end thereof terminating in said handlebar.
 10. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said movable bar is telescopically movable in and out of said sleeve.
 11. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said movable bar is arranged parallel to said moving arm member when said handle assembly is in said upright position.
 12. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said handlebar of said handle assembly comprises two grips spaced from each other at a distance larger than the width of said seat unit so that said grips are located at two opposite lateral sides relative to said seat unit when said handle assembly is in said falling down position.
 13. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said seat unit is moved with said moving arm member to said first position, the elevation difference between said seat unit and said wheel pedal unit reaches the maximum point in the vertical direction and the minimum point in the horizontal direction; and when said seat unit is moved with said moving arm member to said second position, the elevation difference between said seat unit and said wheel pedal unit reaches the minimum point in the vertical direction and the maximum point in the horizontal direction.
 14. An exercise apparatus, comprising: a base including a bracket member and a rail holder coupled with said bracket member; an upright support located at said rail holder and kept apart from said bracket member at a distance, wherein said upright support is movable along said rail holder; a wheel pedal unit installed on said base and configured to be spaced apart from said bracket member at a distance for pedaling by the legs of a user; a moving arm member retractably mounted in said bracket member, said moving arm member comprising a movable part movable in and out of said bracket member in a predetermined angle of inclination between a first position located far apart from said bracket member and a second position located close to said bracket member; and a seat unit mounted at said movable part of said moving arm member for sitting by the user, said seat unit being movable with said movable part between said first and second positions to change the elevation difference between said seat unit and said wheel pedal unit in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.
 15. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said upright support is slidingly mounted to the rail holder, and said wheel pedal unit is mounted at said upright support.
 16. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the rail holder further comprises a first stop block and a second stop block respectively located at two opposite ends thereof, such that the first stop block is located adjacent to the bracket member and the second stop block is located farther away from the bracket member.
 17. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the moving arm member is telescopically movable in and out of the bracket member.
 18. An exercise apparatus, comprising: a base including a bracket member; an upright support slidingly mounted to the base; a wheel pedal unit installed on said base and configured to be spaced apart from said bracket member at a distance for pedaling by the legs of a user; a moving arm member retractably mounted in said bracket member, said moving arm member comprising a movable part movable in and out of said bracket member in a predetermined angle of inclination between a first position located far apart from said bracket member and a second position located close to said bracket member; a seat unit mounted at said movable part of said moving arm member for sitting by the user, said seat unit being movable with said movable part between said first and second positions to change the elevation difference between said seat unit and said wheel pedal unit in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction; and a handle assembly pivotally connected to one of said wheel pedal unit and said upright support, and movable between a falling down position located adjacent to said seat unit and an upright position located far apart from said seat unit.
 19. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said handle assembly comprises a sleeve pivotally connected to said wheel pedal unit, and a movable bar having one end thereof slidingly coupled to said sleeve and an opposite end thereof pivotally coupled to a handlebar for holding by the hands of the user.
 20. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the handlebar comprises two distal ends terminating in respective grips and defining a gap therebetween, such that the gap between the two grips is larger than the width of the seat unit. 